Humidifier pad



J. F. HIRTZ HUMIDIFIER PAD Oct. 11, v1966 Filed Sept. 4, 1963 UnitedStates Patent Oiihce 3,278,175 HUMIDIFIER PAD .lohn F. Hirtz, Watertown,Vis., assigner to Syncromatic Corporation, Watertown, Wis., acorporation of Wiscousin Filed Sept. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 306,577 4 Claims.(Ci. 261-99) This invention relates to humidifier pads or evaporators ofthe type comprising a iiller or body of more or less bibulous materialthrough which air can :be circulated and into which water can -beintroduced for evaporation into the air to humidity the same.

The general object of this invention is to provide a humidifier padwhich can be made very easily and inexpensively in any of wide range ofsizes, which has an unusually high capacity for evaporation of water,and which does not tend to become clogged or otherwise renderedineffective by the minerals that are commonly present in water and whichinevitably remain on a humidi fier pad as a residue when water isevaporated therefrom.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide a humidier pad ofthe character described having a iiller or body of inexpensive materialand which provides f-or very fast and uniform distribution of waterthrough the ller so as to promote rapid evaporation of such water intoair being circulated through the pad,

It is also an object of this invention to provide a humidifier pad ofthe character described .having an inexpensive iller that affords anunusally large area of surface at which air being circulated through theiiller can be exposed to water for evaporation of the latter, but whichnevertheless offers very low resistance to movement of air therethrough.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a humidiiier pad ofthe character described which utilizes theforce of gravity, capillaryattraction, and air flow through the pad to assure very rapid andcomplete dispersion of water through the body of the pad.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, this invention resides in a novel construction,combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafterdescribed and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it beingunderstood that such changes in the precise embodiment of thehereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of theclaims.

A The accompanying drawing illustrates one complete example of thephysical embodiment of the invention constructed according to the bestmode so `far devised for the practical application of the principlesthereof, and in which:

FIGURE l is a perspective view of a humidifier pad embodying theprinciples of this invention with a portion cut away to illustrateinterior construction;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary vertical cross sectional view through thehumiditier pad of this invention, taken on the pl-ane of the line 2 2.in FIGURE l; and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a small section of thecorrugated strip material of which the filler is comprised.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing, the numeral 4 designatesgenerally the humiditier pad of this invention, which comprises a filleror body 5 consisting of a spirally wound strip 6 of single-facedcorrugated paperlike material and a frame 7 that surrounds the filler atits edges and prevents the spiral of corrugated filler material fromunwinding.

The filler material is preferably made of two sheets S and 9 of asbestospaper or the like, one sheet 8 being sub- 3,27%,175 Patented Oct. 11,1966 stantially liat and the other sheet 9 being sinuously :bent intoalternate ridges and grooves to provide the corrugations. The two sheetsare of course rbonded or fused together at the peaks of the cornigationsin the sheet 9, as by means of a silicate of soda cement, so as tomaintain the corrugated form thereof. The strip 6 may -be cut from asubstantially larger .body of such single-faced corrugated material andhas its length transverse to the ridges yand grooves of the-corrugations so that it can be easily rolled into a tight spiral, withthe ridges and grooves extending parallel to the spiral axis, andpreferably with the .dat sheet 8 of the strip outermost.

Rolled as just described, the strip 6 provides a filler having oppositeflat faces 11, defined by the longitudinal edges of the strip, andhaving numerous small air passages, defined by the corrugations,extending through it Ifrom one of its faces to the other.

The strip is held against uncoiling by means of the rectangular frame 7,which can be formed of channel-shaped pieces of light .gage metal. Asshown, the frame is made in two parts, one of which is a U-shapedelement 12 that embraces three sides of the pad. The remaining side ofthe frame comprises a straight length 14 of metal channel that overliesthe fourth side of the pad. Integral lugs 15 on the free ends of thelegs ofthe U-shaped element 12 extend through slits in the straightmember 14, near the opposite ends of the latter, and are clinched overto secure the frame elements together.

The corrugations of the spiral permit the iiller to be compressededgewise to a certain extent, to convert the filler from it-s normalsubstantially circular shape to a rectangular shape which conforms tothe frame; and some degree of such compressive deformation of the illeris desirable to reduce the size of the air passages defined by thecorrugations, accommodate a greater amount of filler material within theframe, and thus increase the surface area of the pad over which waterand air are exposed to one another.

To prevent the convolutions of the iiller from being axially displacedrelative to one another, and to afford a degree of protection to thefiller, a suitable screening 13 overlies each flat face 11 of the fillerand is held in place by the frame. The screening 13 may be formed ofwire rods (as shown), coarse mesh wire cloth, expanded metal foil, orthe like, can be held in place by having its marginal edge portionsilatwise underlying the flanges of the channel shaped frame.

It is intended that the humidifier pad of this invention be used withits flat faoe 13 substantially upright, and with air circulatedtherethrough horizontally, as indicated by arrows in FIGURE 2.

Water is introduced into the filler, to be evaporated into the aircirculated therethrough, by means of openings 16 in the top member 14 ofthe frame and bores 17 which extend downwardly in the iiller from saidopenings. In this case the top frame member is shown as having threeopenings 16 each elongated lengthwise of the frame member 14 so as toembrace the mouths of two bores 17 in the liller, and each somewhatwider than the bores. The upper trame member has its marginal edgeportion around each opening 16 bent downwardly, to provide a small ange18 which snugly edgewise engages the underlying material of the-outermost filler convolution. Each ange 18 thus cooperates with theexposed surface of the filler therebeneath to provide a shallowdistributing trough by which water can be conducted to the two bores 17in the ller that have their mouths embraced by the iiange 18.

The several bores 17 extend downwardly in the filler to below itshorizontal center line, and can readily be formed with a drill. When thepad is mounted in a humdfying machine, water can be dripped or trickledinto the bores 17, by way of the trough-like openings 16, from anysuitable delivery means. Since the surfaces of the bores 17 are definedby the corrugated strip material of the filler, water flowing down eachbore tends to be diverted away from the same by the successive layers ofcorrugated strip material that is encounters and tends to flow along theconvolutions of the filler. Due to the spiral arrangement of the filler,it will be appar-ent that a combination of gravity flow and capillaryaction tends to carry the water uniformly through the entire filler, tobe exposed to air circulated therethrough. ln addition, the aircirculated through the pad is also relied upon to help in effectinguniform distribution of water through the filler, and to this end thebores 17 are located closer to the upstream face 11 of the filler, sothat air moving through the filler will tend to carry water toward thedownstream face.

Since the corrugations of the filler material deflne air channels thatextend straight through the pad from face to face thereof, air is notcompelled to -ow through a tortuous path and therefore it encountersrelatively little fiow resistance from the pad of this invention. By thesame token the numerous and well defined air passages through the fillerare not readily clogged by mineral residues from evaporated water, andthe low cost of the pad of this invention encourages replacement whenmineral residues finally reduce efficiency of the pad.

From the fore-going description taken with the accompanying drawing itwill be apparent that this invention provides a very inexpensive buthighly efficient humidifier pad, wherein a combination of gravity flow,capillary action and air motion is relied upon to provide rapid anduniform dispersion of water through the pad.

What is claimed as my invention is:

1. A humidifier pad through which air can be circulated to behumidified, characterized by:

(A) a filler comprising an elongated strip of corrugated paper-likematerial having the ridges and grooves of its corrugations extendingtransversely to its length, said strip being rolled into a substantiallytight spiral so as to provide (1) opposite faces on the filler definedby opposite longitudinal edges of the strip and (2) air passa-gesextending from one to the other of said faces and defined by the ridgesand grooves of the corrugations;

(B) a substantially rigid frame surrounding the filler at t-he edgesthereof to hold the strip spirally rolled; and

(C) said pad having a plurality of water distribution passages extendinga substantial distance into the filler from one edge thereof and openingthrough the frame at said edge of the filler, so that when the pad isdisposed with said faces upright and said edge of the frame uppermost,water can be introduced into each of said passages and can be carriedlaterally away from the passage by the convolutions of the strip to bethus distributed uniformly through 60 the entire filler for exposure toair circulated therethrough.

2. The humidifier pad -of claim 1, further characterized by the factthat said water distribution passages are parallel to said faces of thefiller and are nearer one face of the filler than the other, so thatmovement of air through the filler from the second designated face tothe first mentioned face further contributes to uniform distribution ofwater through the filler.

3. A humidifier pad having a filler which comprises a strip ofcorrugated paper-like material wound into a substantially tight spiralroll about a horizontal axis so that the longitudinal edges of the stripdefine opposite upright faces of the filler and the corrugations providesmall horizontal air passages through the filler that extend from one tothe other of said faces, said humidifier pad being characterized by: thefiller having a plurality of bores therein which extend downwardly asubstantial distance into the filler from the top thereof, substantiallyparallel to said faces, and which are spaced from one another across thewidth of the pad, by which bores water can be introduced into theinterior of the filler for flow along the convolutions of the filler, tobe thus distributed uniformly through the filler for evaporation by aircirculated through said air passages.

4. In a humidifier pad:

(A) a filler which comprises an elongated strip of single-facedcorrugated paper-like material having the ridges and grooves of itscorrugations extending transversely to its length, said strip beingwound into a substantially tight spiral to provide the filler withopposite upright faces defined by edge portions of the strip and withnumerous horizontal air passages defined by the corrugations;

(B) a rectangular frame surrounding the filler at its edges andpreventing the strip from unrolling and radially compressing portions ofthe filler;

(C) the top of the frame having lengthwise elongated openings therein,and the marginal edge portion of the frame around each of said openingsbeing bent downwardly to engage the filler surface therebeneath andcooperate therewith in defining a shallow water distribution trough; and

(D) the filler having a plurality of bores opening from each of saidtroughs and extending downwardly in the filler therefrom, from each ofwhich bores water can be laterally diverted by the convolutions of thestrip to be rapidly and uniformly dispersed through the filler bygravity and capillary action.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,682,546 8/1928Bangert 261-97 2,386,826 10/1945 Wallach et al 261-102 X 2,634,1124/1953 Snow 261-97 X 2,637,540 5/1953 Rowe 261-94 2,791,408 5/ 1957Lewis.

2,809,818 10/1957 Munters 261-103 X 3,065,956 11/1962 Meek 261-293,193,259 7/1965 Liebmann 261-106 X HARRY `B. THORNTON, PrimaryExaminer.

T. R. MILES, Assistant Examiner,

1. A HUMIDIFIER PAD THROUGH WHICH AIR CAN BE CIRCULATED TO BEHUMIDIFIED, CHARACTERIZED BY: (A) A FILLER COMPRISING AN ELONGATED STRIPOF CORRUGATED PAPER-LIKE MATERIAL HAVING THE RIDGES AND GROOVES OF ITSCORRUGATIONS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY TO ITS LENGHT, SAID STRIP BEINGROLLED INTO A SUBSTANTIALLY TIGHT SPIRAL SO AS TO PROVIDE (1) OPPOSITEFACES ON THE FILLER DEFINED BY OPPOSIDE LONGITUDINAL EDGES OF THE STRIPAND (2) AIR PASSAGES EXTENDING FROM ONE TO THE OTHER OF SAID FACES ANDDEFINED BY THE RIDGES AND GROOVES OF THE CORRUGATIONS; (B) ASUBSTANTIALLY RIGID FRAME SURROUNDING THE FILLER AT THE EDGES THEREOF TOHOLD THE STRIP SPIRALLY ROLLED; AND (C) SAID PAD HAVING A PLURALITY OFWATER DISTRIBUTION PASSAGES EXTENDING A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE INTO THEFILLER FROM ONE EDGE THEREOF AND OPENING THROUGH THE FRAME AT SAID EDGEOF THE FILLER, SO THAT WHEN THE PAD IS DISPOSED WITH SAID FACES UPRIGHTAND SAID EDGE OF THE FRAME UPPERMOST, WATER CAN BE INTRODUCED INTO EACHOF SAID PASSAGES AND CAN BE CARRIED LATERALLY AWAY FROM THE PASSAGE BYTHE CONVOLUTIONS OF THE STRIP TO BE THUS DISTRIBUTED UNIFORMLY THROUGHTHE ENTIRE FILLER FOR EXPOSURE TO AIR CIRCULATED THERETHROUGH.